The Latest: NRA open to ‘bump stock’ regulation

October 5, 2017

Congressman John Lewis joined fellow Democratic representatives outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to call for action on gun legislation. He indicated Republicans were not focusing on the issue at hand after the deadly Las Vegas shooting. (Oct. 4)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the idea in Congress of banning “bump stocks” like the device used by the Las Vegas shooter (all times local):

6 p.m.

The National Rifle Association says “bump stock” devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to perform more like fully automatic weapons should be “subject to additional regulations.”

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is praising the announcement, saying, “We welcome that and a conversation on that.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan is adding his support, as are other top Republicans.

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2:30 p.m.

The White House says President Donald Trump welcomes a review of U.S. policy on so-called bump stock devices.

Presidential spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Thursday that “we’re certainly open to having that conversation.”

Her remarks are part of a growing bipartisan chorus of calls to take a step in the direction of regulating guns in the wake of the Las Vegas massacre. The killer in Las Vegas apparently used the legal bump stock devices on legal rifles, essentially converting them into automatic weapons, which are banned. That allowed him to spray gunfire into the crowd below much more quickly. At least 58 people were killed and hundreds were injured when he opened fire on an outdoor country music festival.

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12:25 p.m.

The top Republican in the House says he’s open to considering a possible ban on “bump stocks,” the device the shooter in Las Vegas apparently used to make semi-automatic rifles perform more like fully automatic weapons.

Speaker Paul Ryan said in an interview with MSNBC that aired Thursday it’s “clearly something we need to look into.”

The comments from lawmakers including No. 2 Senate Republican John Cornyn of Texas mark a surprising departure from the GOP’s general antipathy to gun regulations of any kind.

The devices are known as “bump stocks,” among other names. They’re legal and originally were intended to help people with limited hand mobility fire a semi-automatic without the individual trigger pulls required.

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4 a.m.

Senior congressional Republicans say they are open to considering legislation banning “bump stocks” like the shooter in Las Vegas apparently used to make semi-automatic rifles perform more like fully automatic weapons.

The Wednesday comments from lawmakers including the No. 2 Senate Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, marked a surprising departure from GOP lawmakers’ general antipathy to gun regulations of any kind. But they were far from a guarantee of a path forward for the new legislation by California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, especially with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan making clear their priorities are elsewhere.

Cornyn said as a hunter and sportsman he doesn’t understand the use of the bump stock and wants to have a hearing on it.